A combination of old and new shared top honours at the George Trundle Masters saw earlier this month in Auckland. Experienced Victorian GM Darryl Johansen was pipped as top seed just before the event by the meteoric rise of 13-year-old compatriot Anton Smirnov. The Sydney junior passed the 2400 rating requirement and gained the IM title while representing Australia at the Olympiad.
These two eventually shared first place on 6½/9 in the ten-player round-robin. Johansen started very strongly, conceding only a draw to Smirnov in the first five rounds. After a couple of draws, he was able to preserve his claim on first place with further short draws in the closing rounds. Smirnov was a point adrift of the lead for most of the event, but managed to catch up to Johansen with wins in his last two games. FM Bob Smith of Mt Maunganui had an excellent tournament, taking third place on 5½ and the Trundle trophy for the highest New Zealander.
Today's game is IM Anton Smirnov's final round victory to tie first place. He is playing White against Leonard McLaren of Auckland.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Be3 a6 7.Be2 Be7 8.f4 Nc6 9.g4!?
Despite his quiet-looking setup against Black's Scheveningen Sicilian Defence, this move betrays White's aggressive intentions. 9... d5 10.e5 Nd7 11.g5 Nxd4 12.Qxd4 h6 13.g6! f5!
Declining the pawn sacrifice, which was seen in the game GM Ponomariov-GM Zvjaginsev 2002. There Black captured the pawn after 13... Bh4+ 14.Kd2 fxg6 and went on to lose a miniature: 15.Rhg1 Nf8 16.Bd3 g5 17.Raf1 Bd7 18.Kc1 Qe7 19.f5 Bc6 20.f6 gxf6 21.Rxf6 O-O-O 22. Rgf1 Be8? 23. Qa7 g4 24.Bxa6 1-0. The move played keeps lines closed on the kingside, but the cramping g6 pawn is invulnerable and might prove very annoying. 14.O-O-O Bc5 15.Qd2 Qb6 16.Bxc5 Nxc5 17.Qd4 O-O
In hindsight perhaps an unwise move. Before placing the king on g8, Black ought to safeguard his d5 pawn by 17... Bd7 18.Bf3 Bc6. 18.Bf3 Kh8 19.Rhe1 Rd8?
Walking into a well-prepared sacrifice on d5. Black had to unpin the knight by 19... Qc6! enabling him to meet 20.b4?! with 20... Ne4. Instead 19... Bd7 could be met by 20.b4 Na4 21.Nxd5! with play similar to the game. 20.b4! Nd7 21.Nxd5!!
A brilliant conception for one so young. For the piece sacrificed, White gains total domination over the Black pieces. 21... exd5 22.e6!
Forcing off queens. It would be a mistake to try to win back the piece: 22.Qxd5? Qxb4! 23.e6 Qxf4+ 24.Kb1 Re8 25.exd7 Bxd7 26.Rxe8+ Bxe8 and Black is winning. 22... Qxd4 23.Rxd4 Nf6 24.e7 Re8 25.Bxd5 Bd7!?
Trying to give back some material to save himself. Instead 25... Nxd5 26.Rxd5 b5 27.Rd8 Bb7 28.Red1 Bc6 loses to 29. R1d6! Bb7 30.c4! bxc4 31.a4 Kg8 32.b5 axb5 33. Rxe8+ Rxe8 34.axb5 followed by 35.Rd8 mating. Note the importance of the pawn structure: The white pawns keep the black king in his prison and can force a crucial passed pawn on the queenside. 26.Bf7 Bc6 27.Bxe8 Rxe8 28.Rd8 Bf3
There is no defence, but this move allows a beautiful combination. 29.Re6! Bc6
Else 30.Rxf6! wins immediately. 30.Rxc6! bxc6 31.Rxe8+ Nxe8 32.c4 Nc7 33.a4 Kg8 34.b5 cxb5 35.cxb5 axb5 36.axb5 Resigns
A classic finish. As king and knight look on helplessly a pawn will queen and deliver mate.
Smirnov toast of Trundle Masters
Problem: White to play and mate in 5.
A combination of old and new shared top honours at the George Trundle Masters saw earlier this month in Auckland. Experienced Victorian GM Darryl Johansen was pipped as top seed just before the event by the meteoric rise of 13-year-old compatriot Anton Smirnov. The Sydney junior passed the 2400 rating requirement and gained the IM title while representing Australia at the Olympiad.
These two eventually shared first place on 6½/9 in the ten-player round-robin. Johansen started very strongly, conceding only a draw to Smirnov in the first five rounds. After a couple of draws, he was able to preserve his claim on first place with further short draws in the closing rounds. Smirnov was a point adrift of the lead for most of the event, but managed to catch up to Johansen with wins in his last two games. FM Bob Smith of Mt Maunganui had an excellent tournament, taking third place on 5½ and the Trundle trophy for the highest New Zealander.
Today's game is IM Anton Smirnov's final round victory to tie first place. He is playing White against Leonard McLaren of Auckland.
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 d6
3.d4 cxd4
4.Nxd4 Nf6
5.Nc3 e6
6.Be3 a6
7.Be2 Be7
8.f4 Nc6
9.g4!?
Despite his quiet-looking setup against Black's Scheveningen Sicilian Defence, this move betrays White's aggressive intentions.
9... d5
10.e5 Nd7
11.g5 Nxd4
12.Qxd4 h6
13.g6! f5!
Declining the pawn sacrifice, which was seen in the game GM Ponomariov-GM Zvjaginsev 2002. There Black captured the pawn after 13... Bh4+ 14.Kd2 fxg6 and went on to lose a miniature: 15.Rhg1 Nf8 16.Bd3 g5 17.Raf1 Bd7 18.Kc1 Qe7 19.f5 Bc6 20.f6 gxf6 21.Rxf6 O-O-O 22. Rgf1 Be8? 23. Qa7 g4 24.Bxa6 1-0. The move played keeps lines closed on the kingside, but the cramping g6 pawn is invulnerable and might prove very annoying.
14.O-O-O Bc5
15.Qd2 Qb6
16.Bxc5 Nxc5
17.Qd4 O-O
In hindsight perhaps an unwise move. Before placing the king on g8, Black ought to safeguard his d5 pawn by 17... Bd7 18.Bf3 Bc6.
18.Bf3 Kh8
19.Rhe1 Rd8?
Walking into a well-prepared sacrifice on d5. Black had to unpin the knight by 19... Qc6! enabling him to meet 20.b4?! with 20... Ne4. Instead 19... Bd7 could be met by 20.b4 Na4 21.Nxd5! with play similar to the game.
20.b4! Nd7
21.Nxd5!!
A brilliant conception for one so young. For the piece sacrificed, White gains total domination over the Black pieces.
21... exd5
22.e6!
Forcing off queens. It would be a mistake to try to win back the piece: 22.Qxd5? Qxb4! 23.e6 Qxf4+ 24.Kb1 Re8 25.exd7 Bxd7 26.Rxe8+ Bxe8 and Black is winning.
22... Qxd4
23.Rxd4 Nf6
24.e7 Re8
25.Bxd5 Bd7!?
Trying to give back some material to save himself. Instead 25... Nxd5 26.Rxd5 b5 27.Rd8 Bb7 28.Red1 Bc6 loses to 29. R1d6! Bb7 30.c4! bxc4 31.a4 Kg8 32.b5 axb5 33. Rxe8+ Rxe8 34.axb5 followed by 35.Rd8 mating. Note the importance of the pawn structure: The white pawns keep the black king in his prison and can force a crucial passed pawn on the queenside.
26.Bf7 Bc6
27.Bxe8 Rxe8
28.Rd8 Bf3
There is no defence, but this move allows a beautiful combination.
29.Re6! Bc6
Else 30.Rxf6! wins immediately.
30.Rxc6! bxc6
31.Rxe8+ Nxe8
32.c4 Nc7
33.a4 Kg8
34.b5 cxb5
35.cxb5 axb5
36.axb5 Resigns
A classic finish. As king and knight look on helplessly a pawn will queen and deliver mate.
1-0
Solution: 1. Ng6+! Kg8 2. Ne7+ Kh8 (2... Kf7 3. Qxf6#) 3. Bxf6+ Rxf6 4. Qxf6+ Qg7 5.Qxg7#.